Safety device for hopper-car doors.



PATENTED FEB. 5, 190'?.

A. CHRISTIANSON.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR HOPPBR CAR DOORS.

APP'LIGATION FILED Nov. 1 0, 190e.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ll Il QLTZ m@ #JM @MQ wel A. CHRISTIANSON.

PATENTED FEB. 5, 1907.

. SAFETY DEVICE FOR HPPER-CAR DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED N FRG. 2

0V. 1o, 1906. i

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED FEB. 5. 1907- A. CHRISFIABISOIV. SAFETY DEVICE FOR HOPPER CAR DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.10,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

AINVENTOR.

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M www# narran sierras PATENT onirica.

ANDREW CHRISTIANSON, OF BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORl TO' STANDARD STEEL OAR COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY DEVICE Fon HoPPER-CAF': DOORS.

Speciicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 1907.

applicati@ filed November l0, 1906. Serial No. 342341.

\ ondola cars.

The object ofthe invention is to provide a device which is simple oi construction, eas r of operation, which'does not interfere with the ordinary door-operating mechanism, and which effectively holds the door closed in case the usual door-closing mechanism fails.

In all railway-cars provided with swinging drop-doors, whether arranged horizontally or on an incline, there is always danger of the door-closing means failing. Usually these doors are closed by means of some rotating shaft connected to the doors either by means of chains, links, or other flexible connectors, and the doors are usually held in closed position by locking the shaft against rotation. This locking means is liable to become displaced' `or the iieXible connectors sometimes reak, in either event permitting the doors to swing open and discharge the lading.

This invention is intended to provide additional safety devices which prevent the doors from swinging open in case any of the foregoing contingencies arise.

The invention comprises the arrangement of arts hereinafter described and claimed.

n the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view o-.a portion otthe bottom of a gondola car provided with hoppers and showing my invention applied thereto, a portion of the car being in horizontal section.

-Fig. 24 is a transverse section showing the lower portion of the car. Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of a portion of the car, showing the door mechanism in diiierent positions.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section takenV on the line 5 5, Fig. 1; and-Fig. l6 is a similar p view on the line 6 6, Fig. 1.

In the Adrawings the invention is shown applied to a gondola car provided with hoppers, although it is evident. that it can be applied 'to any'form of, hopper-bottom car having horizontal doors extending either transversely or longitudinally of the car.

In the drawings the center sills are shownh at 1 and lare standard rolled channel-beams placed with their flanges projecting outwardly. The car sides are indicated at 2, the outer hopper-sheets at 3, the inner hopper-sheets at 4, and the inclined iloor or hopper sheets at 5. The doors 6 are hinged at y their outer edges to angles 7, secured to the lower edges of the inclined iloor-plates 5.-

These doors whenlclosed are horizontal, as shown, and extend transversely of the car, being arranged in pairs, the individuals of which are connected by a transverse beam 9, (shown as of general U shape in cross-section) and having its ends secured to the doors and v middle portion depressed and extending underneath the center sills.

The door closing and operating mechanism may be of any usual or desired form, such as chains connected to a winding-shaft, .but preferably comprise short cha'in members 10, ,one connected to each of the beams 9` and each having connected thereto a hook-shaped link 11, connected by'. another link 12 toga drum 13, -rovided with cam projections 14, over whic the hooks take when the doors are closed. This drumis rotatably mounted between the center sills, as shown, directly over the center line of the yoppositely-swin ing doors. It may berotated y any suitab e means, such as providing vthe same. with a sheave or sheaves 15, over which runs a belt,

purposes of illustration, as any 'other' construction of doors yor door-closing mechanism will answer'the'purposes of this invention eqlally as well. Iy invention is intended asan additional lockln or safety device to prevent the doors from falling open in case the door-closing mechanism fails. This is accomplished by means of a safety latch or latchesv shownl in IOO ' closed'.V To this end said hooks are counterweighted, as at 23, and the uppe'r outer face are made movable, suchas being rotatable,

' the same, aswill be readily understood.

. doors -approach the limit of their closing pushes the latter ofi'` of the former and perfof cars'wit-hout interfering with the usual 6oA 1 'in closed position when the ordinary doorclosing mechanism fails'. I

-ed -to engage stops in the vform of'a shaft or drum 21 mounted in'suitable. bearings 22,

fasshown at 26 and 27, so that when the ing mechanism fails, the doors drop until the ,is so constructed that it-acts automaticall l the form yhooks 20, mounted on the doors 'andengaginga suitable stop or stops on the body of the can -As shown, two hooks 20 f are provided for each double ldoor, these hooks being pivoted inthe beam 9 and adaptsecured to the center sills. The hooksare' so arranged that they automatically engage the shafts or drums 21 when 'the doors swing' isrounded, as at 24. L

In order topermit the ready disengagement of the hooks from the stops, the latt'er as shown, and preferably the drums 21 and hooks 2O have interengaging' or serrated faces,

shafts are rotated the hooks arepushedod The shafts 21 may be rotated in any suitable way, such as providing them with beveled gears 27, meshing with similar gears 28v on a transverse' shaft' 29, which extends out to the side of the'car, Where it is provided with suitable rotating means such as a handwheel 30. A- The' doors'will be closed in the usual -way by operating the winding-shaft. As the movement the inclined noses24 of the hooks guide the latter so they pass the drums 21, as shown 4in Fig 4, and in the .nal closed positin of the doors the counterweights' 23 swing the hooks, so `thatthe serrated faces thereof lie above the drums 21, as seen inV Fig. 2. As long as the door-closing mechanism is intact these hooks perform no function, but are preferably slightly'out ofcontact with the drums, as shown. In ease the door-closhooks rest upon the serrated drums and are held by said hooks in this position, (shown in Fig. 3,) so thatthelading-cannot bedischarged.. In opening the doors the doorclosing mechanism is first released, which permits .the doors to drop until arrested by the hooks 20,l after which the hand-wheel 30 is operated to rotate the shafts 21, and' this through the interengaging faces of the drums and hooks -mits the doors to swing open by gravity. 'The shafts 21, however, need not be 4rotated when the doors are being closed, as the hooks engage the drums automatically.

he mechanism described is simple of con'- struction'and can be applied to various types door-operatingmechanisms employed. It

in closingthe doors, thus not adding o this operation, and it effectually holds the dbors .bottom door, closing-mechanism for what -I'Ciaim a+ 1Q A railway-car provided with a swin 1 bottom door, closing mechanism for sai door, -a safety device comprising a latch mounted on the door and arranged to automaticallyengage the car-body when the door is closed, and means independent ofthe door-v closing mechanismv for'releas' said latch.

2. A railway-car 'provided with a bottom door, closing mechanism for sai door, a safety 'device ,comprising a latch mounted on' the door, and a movable member mounted-on the car-'body and arranged to be engaged .by the latch and when moved to release said latch.

3. A railway-car provided with a S bottom door, closing mechanism for`sai door, a safety device comprising a latch -toothed or serratediengagin faces.

5. A railway-carprovide, with Swingin Ibottom door, closing mechanism for sai a swinging door', a safety device comprising1 amovable hookmounted on the door, an

member on the body arranged to be automatically enga ed by the hook and when moved to release te'same.

6. A railway-car provided with a swinging bottom door, closing mechanism for said door, a safety device comprising a hook pivoted to the door, and a rotatable member on the body -having a toothed engagement with said hook.

roo

7. `A railway-car provided with a swinging bottom' door, closing mechanism for said door, a safety device comprising a hookv ivoted to the door, and a rotatable s aft mounted on-the body in position to beengaged by the hook.

8. A railway-tar provided with aA center. sill, a door on either side of the same, a beam connecting said door, door-closing mechanism, a safety devicecomprisinga hook piv` otally mounted on the beam, and a rotatable member mounted on the bodyin position to be engaged-bythe hook.

9. A raiIway-carprovided with a swinging bottom door, closing mechanism therefor, a' safety device comprising a counterweighted hook pivoted -to the door, and a 'rotatable memb'er'mounted inthe body in position to 'i be engaged bythe hook and arranged when rotated to* release said hook.

10. A. railway-car comprising e center sill, In testimony whereof I, the said ANDREW` loniected doirs on aiher side1 therecf, CHRIsTIANsoN, have hereunto set my hand.

oo mounte on sai oors, a ongitu ine shaft mounted on the center sill in position A CHRISTIANSGN' 5 to be engaged by the hook, and a. transverse Witnesses:

actuating-shaft geared to said longitudinal t ROBERT C. TOTTEN, shaft. J, R. KELLER. 

